Topic: Tami Sawyer

January 2019

The Shelby County Commission delayed a vote Monday on allocating $1.3 million for a new Shelby County Juvenile Detention Center after several commissioners raised concerns they were moving too fast on the project.

Shelby County commissioners Tami Sawyer and Mark Billingsley talk about juvenile justice reform with county beat reporter Omer Yusuf, and city government reporter Bill Dries recaps the three new Memphis City Council members and the rocky transition in the Criminal Court clerk’s office.

Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer says the discussion over Shelby County Juvenile Court must change from the “good guys” who work at the court to the systems in place that have led to calls for serious reform.

Shelby County Commissioners reiterated more reforms are needed at Shelby County Juvenile Court after discussing a Department of Justice monitor’s report that concluded the agency is “deeply flawed” and enables “a culture of intimidation” in due process procedures.

Shelby County Commissioners is expected to decide whether to recommend a $1.3 million down payment for a new $25 million Shelby County Juvenile Detention Center at its first committee session of 2019 on Wednesday.

Increasing the percentage of minority- and women-owned business contracts with Shelby County government will be a top priority for several commissioners when the County Commission reconvenes this month.

December 2018

At their first committee sessions of the new year on Jan. 9, Shelby County commissioners will discuss $25 million in county funding for a new Juvenile Court detention center to be run by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner carefully unlocked the chain that closed a gap in the chain link fence around the gravesite of Nathan Bedford Forrest Thursday in Health Sciences Park and walked around the marble plaza that dates back more than a century.

Four Shelby County Commissioners wrote a letter to Gov. Bill Haslam urging him to grant clemency for 30-year-old Cyntoia Brown, who is currently serving a 51-year prison sentence for killing a man when she was 16.

The Shelby County Commission voted to authorize a 30-year, $100 million tax increment financing district for phase I of the $950 million Union Row development Monday, despite a request from Mayor Lee Harris and two county commissioners to delay the vote.

Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson outlined his school consolidation plan to the Shelby County Commission’s education committee Wednesday – which includes 28 school closures, 10 new schools and could cost the district at least $700 million.

A Shelby County Commission committee is recommending the creation of a tax increment financing district to fund public infrastructure for the $950 million Union Row project, though two commissioners expressed concerns about minority- and women-owned business involvement and gentrification.

The recently formed Memphis and Shelby County ad hoc transportation/transit committee met Tuesday afternoon – continuing its discussion on finding a dedicated funding source for the Memphis Area Transit Authority.

The Shelby County Commission approved adding five items to its legislative agenda Monday night – including a request the state fund more school resource officers, social workers and counselors in local schools.

Shelby County has reached an agreement with its inmate telephone services vendor, Global Tel, to eliminate charges on all phone calls made by juveniles to their parents or guardians and vice-versa, Mayor Lee Harris announced Monday.

A dispute between two potential vendors for a food management services contract from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office for its three correctional facilities was reignited at the Shelby County Commission’s committee meeting Wednesday afternoon.

More than 60 women ran for elected office in 40 races throughout Shelby County during the 2018 election cycle, resulting in several historic firsts and government representation being a little more reflective along both gender and racial lines in the county.

The Memphis Police Association is advising police officers not to talk to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation when the state agency is investigating officer-involved shootings, the TBI was told Sunday. The advice includes police officers who witnessed shootings but are not involved.

A Shelby County Commission committee recommended approving a resolution to rescind former Mayor Mark Luttrell’s second letter to end Department of Justice oversight of Juvenile Court Wednesday, but not all committee members agreed.

September 2018

Two days after Martavious Banks was critically wounded by a Memphis police officer in a shooting, protesters stood on the sidewalk at the entrance to the Airways police precinct calling for justice Wednesday night. About 50 protesters, some with bullhorns and carrying signs that read, “We have our cameras on," arrived shortly before 7 p.m. to the “Citywide Protest” organized by Memphis activist, Mac Freddie.

The Memphis Police Department said an officer who critically wounded a 25-year-old man in a shooting in South Memphis Monday night did not record the encounter because he and two other officers failed to turn on their body and in-car cameras during the incident.